Device for sharpening phonograph needles



July 9, 1940. M. w. AMBROSE 2,206,932

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING PHGNOGRAPH NEEDLES Filed Oct. 4, 1959 Tai? @9151 proper contact with an abrasive substance.

Patented July 9,1949

NEEDLES Merrill vW. Ambrose, Boston, Mass., assignor of one-half to Samuel Coty, Boston, Mass.

Applicaticn October 4,

'l Claims.

This invention relates to'apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles, particularly thorn or fibre needles, the points of which tend to become dulled more quickly than those of steel needles.

The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and economical yet handy and eflicient apparatus which may conveniently be employed by the user to sharpen the points of fibrous needles by reciprocating the handle of a holder arranged to maintain the needle point in An.. other object is kto provide a needle holder which may be quickly and conveniently adjusted so that the needle will assume any desired 'predetermined angle with respect to the abrasive surface; and which comprises separable elements which may be easily assembled for use or disassembled for packing or storage.

Further structural advantages of the improved device will b e apparent from the following description of arecommended embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and will be pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawing,

o Fig. i is a plan View of a base member forming part of the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof looking to the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, Aof the assembled needle holder and handle;

Fig. 4 is a side View of the apparatus in position for use, with the base member shown in section; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections taken on lines 5 5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 3.

In the particular embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, the needle sharpening apparatus comprises a base member Il including upper and lower sections I2 and I3 respectively formed of wood or other solid material, the lower section having a covering I4 of soft fabric and said section being affixed to the upper section I2 byl means of nails I5 or other fastenings which hold the covering in place. This covering serves as a cushion for the base member and also as a pad for wiping or polishing the surface of a phonograph record.

The top of the composite base II is provided with a strip of sand paper I6 or other abrasive substance, removably supported in metal clips I1 or otherwise attached upon the upper surface of the base member. A strip of rubber i8 or other friction material is inserted in the upper surface of the base memberand extends parallel to the abrasive strip at a substantial distance therefrom, for a purpose which will hereafter become apparent; and the top of the base is formed with a groove or slot I9, located between the abrasive strip andthe friction piece and extending parallel thereto across the base member. The slot i929, serial No. 297,803

(ci. esi- 151) I9 Serves aS a guide for a reciprocating handle 20 s forming part of the needle holder assembly.

The needle holder comprises a tubular shaft 2l insertable in an opening extending at an oblique angle to the aids of the handle 20, and having slotted and threaded end portions; a nose piece or collet 22 adapted to contract one slotted and tapered end 23 of the tube 2l, when threaded thereon to constitute a chuck for holding a needle 2li (Figs. 3 and 6); a coiledspring 25 surrounding the central portion of the shaft ZI and engaging the handle at one end; a knurleddisc or wheel Z6 apertured to receive the shaft and having a key 2l engaging in a slot 23 of the shaft, so that the disc may slide4 longitudinallyk thereof but is prevented from rotating relative to the shaft; and a wing nut 29 threadingon the outer end of the shaft and bearing against the disc 26` to hold the parts in assembled relation as shown in Fig. 3, with the handle disposed between the collet 22 andthe spring 25.

It will be evident that the vario-us elements ofA theneedle holder may be separatedl from each other by removing the collet and the wing nut, and that the parts may be quickly assembled in operative relationship.A It will also be apparent that the position of the disc 26 may be'adjusted longitudinally with respectk to the shaft by turning thewwing nut, thereby to vary the distance between thedisc and the pointof the needle 24.

The needle may be applied to the holder by invserting its butt end into the collet, or `by dropping it pointv first through the opposite end of the tubular shaft; and -is retained in place bytightening thecollet.

The needle point is sharpened by placing the assembled needle holder (with the needle in place) on the `base block II in the manner indicated in Fig. 4, and reciprocating the handle 20 inthe slot I9 so that the shaft and needle are rotated by the frictional engagement between the knurled disc and the rubber strip I8. As the lower end of the handle, which may be notched at 30 to reduce its thickness, fits loosely in the guide slot-I9, the needle holder is supported at the points of engagement between the needle and the abrasive and between the disc and the friction surface of the block, respectively, during operative movementof the handle. Hence, the angle of 'contact between the needle and the abrasive may readily be varied by adjusting the wing nut to change the position of the disc which ening thorn or brous needles having ends which are not of the same contour. It will be understood, however, that the improved device may be used for sharpening steel or other phonograph needles; and it will also be understood that the structural details of the apparatus herein illustrated and described may be varied without departing from the essence of this invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles comprising a base member, a strip of abrasive material on said base, a guide on said base extending parallel to the abrasive strip, a needle holder, a handle having an opening receiving the needle holder` and having a lower end engageable with said guide during reciprocating; movement of the handle, the holder being rotatable in the handle opening, a disc slidably connected to the holder and frictionally engaging said base for rotating the same when the handle is reciprocated, means for restraining rotation ol' the disc` with respect to the holder, and means for holding the disc in adjusted position relative to the holder, so that the holder will be supported at the desired inclination while the needle is sharpened.

2. Apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles comprising a base member, a strip of abrasive material on said base, a guide on said base extending parallel to the abrasive strip, a needle holder, a handle having an opening receiving the needle holder and having a lower end engageable with said guide during reciprocating movement of the handle, the holder being rotatable in the handle opening, and a disc operatively connected to the holder for rotating vthe same when the handle is reciprocated, said' holder comprising a shaftto which the disc is keyed for sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a spring surrounding the shaft between the handle and the disc, and a nut threading upon the outer end of the shaft and bearing against the disc for adjusting the longitudinal position of the disc with respect to the shaft, whereby the angular operative relation between the needle holder and the abrasive strip may be varied according to the taper of the needle point.

3. Apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles comprising a base member, a strip of abrasive material on said base, a guide on said base extending parallel to the abrasive strip, a needle holder, a handle having an opening receiving the needle holder and having a lower end engageable with said guide during reciprocating movement of the handle, the holder being rotatable in the handle opening, and a disc operatively connected to the holder for rotating the same when the handle is reciprocated with the needle point engaging the abrasive strip and the periphery of the disc engaging the surface of the base member, said opening in the handle extending at an oblique angle to the axis thereof, so 'that the handle assurnes a substantially upright Yposition while the holder is supported at an inclination to the base, said disc being slidable longitudinally of the holder to vary the inclination thereof, and said guide consisting of a slot in the surface of the base member which receives the lower kend of the handle when the device is in operative position.

4. Apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles comprising a base member, a strip of abrasive material on said base, a guide'on said base extending parallel to the abrasive strip, a needle holder, a handle having an opening receiving the needle holder and having a lower end engageable with said guide during reciprocating movement of the handle, the holder being rotatable in the handle opening, and a disc operatively connected to the holder for rotating the same when the handle is reciprocated with the needle point engaging the abrasive strip and the periphery of the disc engaging the surface of the base member, said holder comprising a shaft to which the disc is keyed for sliding movement longitudinally thereof, a spring surrounding the shaft between the handle and the disc, and a nut threading upon the outer end of the shaft and bearing against the disc for adjusting the longitudinal position of the disc with respect to the shaft, whereby the angular operative relation between the needle holder and the abrasive strip may be varied according to the taper of the needle point, the handle, spring, disc, and adjusting nut being removable from the shaft, and the Shaft having a removable collet for retaining the needle in the opposite end of the shaft, the handle being disposed between the collet and the springl 5. A needle holding device adapted to be applied to a surface provided with an abrasive element for sharpening the needle point, said device comprising a tubular shaft having threaded ends, one end being slotted and tapered to receive a needle inserted therein or dropped through the opposite end of the holder shaft, a collet threading on the tapered end to retain the needle in place, a handle having an opening extending at an oblique angle to its axis for rotatably receiving the shaft, the handle engaging the inner end of said collet, a coiled spring surrounding the central portion of the shaft and bearing against the opposite end of the handle, a disc slidable on said shaft and keyed thereto, and a nut threading on said opposite end of the shaft and bearing against the disc, whereby the longitudinal position of the disc with respect to the shaft may be adjusted by turning the nut,

all of said parts being separable from each other. i

6. Apparatus for sharpening phonograph needles, comprising a base having an abrasive strip, a handle, a needle holder carried by the handle and rotatable relative thereto, a disc connected to the holder and movable longitudinally thereof, the periphery of the disc frictionally engaging said base to rotate the holder, means for holding the disc in adjusted position relative to the holder so that the holder is rotated and supported at the desired inclination when the handle is reciprocated to sharpen the needle, and means for guiding the device in a path parallel to the abrasive strip during reciprocation of the handle.

7. Apparatus for Vsharpening phonograph needles, comprising a base having an abrasive strip thereon and a slot parallel to said strip, a handle having an end portion received in said slot so that the handle is guided thereby when it is reciprocated, the handle having an opening extending therethrough at an oblique angle to the axis thereof, a needle holder rotatably supported in said opening, and a disc connected to the holder and engageable on the base for rotating the holder when the handle is reciprocated in said slot, the handle remaining in substantially upright position 'during operative movement thereof, while the holder is supported at an inclination tothe base.

MERRILL W. AMBRO-SE. i 

